The Fine Line
by ValdeScriptor
Summary: No summary. R&R. [SS n BZ]
1. Returning

**The Fine Line:**

**This story was here before but I accidentally deleted it :S I'm so friggin lucky my beta never deletes her emails and the story chaps were still in her inbox, lol. Someone pointed out to me that the thing that happens to Blaise at the start of this story sounds like what they say happens to Snape in Power of the Quill (I highly recommend this story, btw; its amazing) but I promise this story is nothing like POTQ. Anyways, please R&R.**

Returning:

Blaise Zambini sat alone in a compartment at the back of the Hogwarts Express reading a potions book and wearing her usual all-black attire. She was returning for her final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Much had changed since her first year at Hogwarts. Back in her first year, she was still getting used to being in Slytherin. All of her fellow house-mates said she should have been in Ravenclaw. She was despised by them all.But thatwas just fine with her; she had always been one to keep to herself.

But another thing had changed since her first year at Hogwarts... Back in her first year at Hogwarts, Harry Potter had still been alive... But no more...

The summer before what would be Harry Potter's sixth year at Hogwarts, he had killed himself: it had been a valid suicide, most people suspected that the death of a close friend had had something to do with it, but nothing was certain. This had been the topic of discussion everywhere for quite some time though... Since his death Voldemort had been making more and more appearances; even the muggles were beginning to become aware of his presence.

However, the wizarding world still had Dumbledore. But even he no longer had the power to defeat the Dark Lord. He was nearing his one hundred and sixty fifth birthday and was growing weaker and weaker with each day; they said his inner turmoil was eating away at him.

Blaise took her eyes off the book and sighed as she looked out at the dark, dreary sky. The sun rarely came out anymore for some reason and it hardly ever stopped raining. The darkness added to everyone's great depression.

At that moment the shut door of her compartment slid open, and standing in the doorway were none other than Mark Thompson, a pureblood Ravenclaw boy who rarely had anything decent to say to Blaise, and another boy that Blaise didn't recognize.

"Oh. I thought this compartment was empty. I hadn't realized that you were here, death-eater," he said nastily.

"Well I am, so beat it," she snapped. Blaise hated all the people like him. The kind of people that would take one look at her, and think that she was some kind of a Satanist, or death-eater, when in fact she was neither.

"No. I have a bone to pick with you," he sneered, "My uncle was one of the greatest Aurors there ever was. And take a guess what happened to him. One of you Death-Eaters tortured him to death."

She stood up, defensively. Her hand was in her pocket, holding her wand.

"I am not a death-eater. Nor do I support what the Dark Lord does. Please leave before I am forced to take action," she said, trying to keep her cool.

"Dark Lord, eh? Who calls him that but his supporters?" the friend asked.

"If you're not a death-eater then why don't you prove it? Prove it to everyone 'cause no one believes anything you say. Prove to us that you aren't a supporter of you-know-who and that you don't spy on Hogwarts for him or all those other things!"

He shoved her back down in her seat. Blaise wiped out her wand as quickly as she could; but Mark was quicker. He used a disarming curse on her and caught her wand in his hand, never taking his wand off of her.

"Strip. Show us you bear no Dark Mark," he ordered grinning as if he was savoring every moment.


	2. Potions Master

**Here's chapter 2... **

The Potions Master:

"In your fucking dreams, you pervert!" she replied angrily, "You might have my wand and all the power over me right now, but no way in hell am I going to strip for you. For your information you are the last person that I would want to see me naked and by the way if anyone else gets wind of this you will be expelled, I garantee it !"

"There's no need to worry about that is there, 'Cifer? Sorry; this is Lucifer Joahs... He is a master of memory charms and he's very pleased to meet you," he said with a wicked sneer, "But back to the current matter... since you refuse to strip for us, I'll do it for you."

He muttered a spell and her clothes vanished. She was left bare naked in front of them.

"You fucking asshole!" she yelled as she tried to cover herself.

She began to scream her lungs out.

"Shut her up! Shut her up!" Mark shouted to the boy named Lucifer over her cries for help.

Mark approached the screaming girl and pulled her up by her long raven-colored hair. He took his hand and whacked her hard across the face. When that didn't stop her he continued. Over and over again he stuck as if he was sparring with a punching bag until blood was pouring freely from newly formed wounds on her body.

Blaise's screaming stopped and she grew weaker and weaker as blood left her body. Her vision began to blur as she fainted.

Blaise woke later hurting everywhere; she could barely move. She opened her eyes and saw it was dark. Someone had placed a blanket over her; she had no strength yet her subconscious was intact.

Suddenly memories of what had happened came back to her, Mark… Mark and John. Oh, she'd get them... If it was the last thing she did she'd get them both they would both suffer. Even though Blaise could not remember much there was physical evidence that reminded her that they had not been delicate.

_'I'll have to thank them later for their courtes,''_ she thought sarcastically to herself.

She eventually managed to remove the blanket from her head. She found she was naked, hidden under a bench of one of the compartments of the Hogwarts Express.

"'Laise? 'Laise Zambini?" came the deep rumbling voice of the Care of Magic Creatures professor, Hagrid from down the hallway.

She shifted around a bit, not responding and not wanting anyone to find her in her present state.

The half-giant slid open the door of the compartment she was in. He gasped as he saw the blood on the seat above that had come from Blaise's injuries. His eyes trailed down to where she hid beneath the bench.

"My God! Wha' 'append to 'yer?!" he cried, dropping down to his knees to get her out from underneath the bench.

"I-I banged my head when the train stopped and fell down here," she lied, knowing he wouldn't believe her story, but refusing to tell him what had really happened.

"My arse 'yeh did," he said, picking her up --still wrapped in the blanket. He carried her with ease out of the train.

He carried her up to the castle without a word and brought her to the Hospital Wing, where she was greeted with a shriek from Madam Pomfrey, the school matron. He placed her down onto a nearby bed.

"How did you know to come looking for me?" Blaise asked as Madam Pomfrey fussed over her cuts and bruises.

"List said 'er was thirty seven seventh years an' aye only counted thirty six of 'yer," he replied simply. He was ordered to leave the room as Madam Pomfrey forced a red potion down Blaise's throat.

-----

"What exactly happened to you, dear?" asked Madam Pomfrey once she had cured Blaise's injuries and tucked her into a cot.

_'No way in hell am I telling her.'_

"I banged my head when the train stopped and fell onto the floor."

"Then where did your clothes go and why did you have such injuries?" the old lady asked.

She shrugged.

"Don't know."

Madam Pomfrey eyed her suspiciously. She sighed, realizing she wasn't going to get any answers from the girl.

"Your head-of-house will be alerted of your condition. I will tell him that you will be staying here over-night," she announced before retreating to her office, leaving Blaise alone with her thoughts.

"Like he'll care, I doubt he would even notice that I'm gone!" she scoffed when the matron was out of earshot.

_'What did they do to me?'_ Blaise wondered, _'They could have molested me. I'd have no way of knowing. Oh shit that's one of my family's most treasured values! If I lost my virginity to someone I'm not married to and _they _find out I'm dead!'_

Then she remembered what Mark had said about his friend being a master with memory-charms.

_'And why didn't they wipe clean my memory?'_

Her thoughts were interrupted when Professor Severus Snape entered the infirmary. Madam Pomfrey returned from her office upon hearing the door of the Hospital open

Just as she had predicted he barely noticed Blaise's presence before asking the matron why she had summoned him there what she wanted.

"Seeing as you are Miss Zambini's head-of-house, it is my duty to inform you that she was injured on the train and that she is in no condition to leave this hospital tonight," she responded sternly.

Blaise could not help but squirm as his eyes brushed over her body, even while she was hidden under the covers of her cot she was painfully aware of the fact that she was still naked under the sheets due to the chaotic state of the school today on the first day back at Hogwarts, Madame Pomfrey had had enough trouble getting a house elf to fetch her sheets.

And then he left, without another word and Blaise was left to rest and ponder on all of the days events.

**I'm a bit caught up with working on my other story (Woes of the Moon) right now, but chapter 3 soon hopefully; I've already started on it.**


	3. Hermione Granger

**The Fine Line**

**Just before we start, I'd like to mention my dearest Paris. Paris is blackmailing me. She says I have to write something to give her more credit for betaing my stories she says. So, everyone, special thanks to my beta Dazed and Utterly Confused (who verbally abuses me). ;)**

**Dazed and Utterly Confused: WHAT! I do not verbally abuse you, you cow! Ha! PS I'm like on my 9th Chapter so get your ass moving! Oh and does nobody get your Hedley reference from WOTM? I guess it really **_**is**_** a Canadian thing! I love BOYS! HA! And you of course, my love ! ;)**

* * *

Hermione Granger:

Blaise made her way alone to her NEWT level Potions class in the cold and drafty dungeons at around noon the next day (once Madam Pomfrey had been convinced that she was well enough to go). The only reason she suffered through Snape's classes was that she wanted to become an Auror one day and, for that to happen, she needed to be skilled with potions.

She arrived quickly enough in the still empty dark room that was Potions class. She took a seat at a table at the back of the class and waited. Everyone else was obviously still at lunch, savoring the little free time they had left before the bell rang. Blaise wasn't one to eat much and normally skipped lunch...who would she sit with anyways?

Blaise let her thoughts drift as she sat and waited alone.

_'I'm always alone...'_

She sighed, and pitied herself for not having anyone who cared for her at this school; or anywhere else, for that matter. Not even her parents cared for her. All they wanted was for her not to disgrace the family name. Basically that meant: she had to finish school, get married to a rich and respectable pureblood, be a good housewife and give them at least one grandson.

Blaise hated her parents. Hated everything they did and everything they believed in. She had moved out of the Zambini manor the previous year, when she was 16. All summer she worked at a run-down place in Knockturn Alley. In return she was allowed to live in the cellar, was provided with meals and paid a small weekly salary that barely covered her school materials.

Neither of Blaise's parents appreciated her. The reason for that was simple: they had never wanted a child, let alone a "filthy useless daughter" as Mr. Zambini put it. Mr. Zambini had always wanted a son to put in service of the Dark Lord as his father had done to him when he had become of age. Unfortunately, he was stuck with Blaise seeing as Mrs. Zambini was incapable of having any more children due to the fact that she had been put away in Azkaban for crimes against the wizarding world in the name of the Dark Lord. The Dementors were the only things that differentiated the Zambini family home from Azkaban...

You see, Blaise's parents had very strict rules they expected her to obey them, but they had very low expectations of her. They were a very traditional family. 'Blaise you should be seen and not heard' 'Blaise do as your told'... It was all too much. When she was young, her parents would beat her if ever she broke their rules. She had learnt not to fight with them but betray them in every way possible. That included questioning their authority, befriending muggles, and even denying her services to the Dark Lord when she came of age; she knew enough of what he did to unwilling muggle girls to know that coming to him willingly would be like jumping of a cliff.

_'Speaking of cliffs... How am I going to get back at Joahs and Thompson? No way are they going to get away with what they did to me... I can't tell Snape on them... He'd probably congratulate them or something... But what can I do...'_

Her thoughts of vengeance and disdain were interrupted as Snape himself entered the classroom, wearing his usual black robes and scowl. His face was just as pale as it had been the previous year and his nose still as long and hooked.

_'Oh look. Speak of the devil.'_

He headed towards his desk, walking past her without a word, as if she were but a part of the wall.

"Hello Professor. How was your summer break" she asked, forcing him to show some sign that he knew she existed.

He turned slowly and glared at her with his beetle-black eyes.

"Miss Zambini, I have no intention of making conversation with you. Go back to what you were doing and cease from disturbing me" he replied coldly before sitting behind his desk.

_'Merlin! Would it kill him not to be so damn rude to everyone all the time?'_ she thought angrily,as Draco Malfoy and his friend Elrin Greaysein entered the classroom and sat at two tables at front of the class, _'I guess it might ruin his bad boy image!'_

"Good afternoon, Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Greaysein" Snape greeted them"How is your father faring, Mr. Malfoy"

_'Figures. He's only polite with the ones he _likes_. He always goes out of his way to make my life a misery in his classes, despite how well I do...'_ she thought as Malfoy told Snape how it had been ruled that his father was not a Death-Eater and how he was let out of Azkaban.

Students began to gradually fill the classroom and everyone meant to be there was present by the time the bell rang.

"Settle down" Snape said, unnecessarily, as not a person in the class was talking"This year, _thankfully_ the last year you will be spending at this castle, we will be learning about potions which previously were too advanced and dangerous for you to handle. Today we will begin the brewing of an advanced truth serum, the Draught of Truth. The instructions" he flicked his wand at the chalkboard in front of the class"are on the blackboard." They appeared. "Groups of two. Begin"

Everyone hurried into groups of two. In the end, the only ones left without partners were Blaise and the Granger girl.

_'Good Lord. Now I'm left with the stuck-up, smart-assed, Gryffindor, Granger,' _Blaise thought.

Granger looked around, and seeing that everyone one else already had partners, approached Blaise, slowly. She was probably also displeased with the fact she was going to have to pair with Blaise.

"So I guess we're partners" she asked cautiously, once she reached Blaise's table.

"I guess so" Blaise replied, her voice full of distaste.

"So... First we start by bringing two cups of Flubberworm mucus to a boil... We should put on gloves" Granger said, not bothering to check the blackboard, then pulling on her gloves.

Blaise put on her gloves and checked the board.

"Bubotuber pus, not Flubberworm mucus..." Blaise corrected, surprised that Granger had made a mistake.

"What" She checked the board. "Oh... I guess you're right..." she said in a low voice.

She bowed her head, shading her eyes.

"Are you alright" asked Blaise, concerned for some reason"It's alright that you made a mistake..."

"It's been happening all the time lately" she said angrily. Silent tears were dripping down her face. "I've been having trouble remembering things I've known since forever! It's just my friend... well you know what happened to Harry... and I can't stop thinking about how he'd just love to be here with us, learning to become an Auror..."

_'Potter was her friend... That's right...' _she thought, pitying the girl._ 'I can't imagine what it must be like for her... Having a friend and suddenly having them be taken away...'_

"I'm really sorry about what happened"

"Keep your sympathy." Granger interrupted stiffly, whipping the tears from her eyes and grabbing the jar of Bubotuber pus that was on the table.

They continued brewing the potion in silence.

"He and I studied how to make this potion together..." Granger said after some time.

Blaise remained silent, not knowing how to reply.

"We joked about Snape slipping some of it into our drinks and all the things he's make us tell him" she continued, adding Jobberknoll feathers to the potion with a shaking hand.

"Do you want to talk about it" Blaise tried.

Granger opened her mouth to answer. Blaise felt someone come up behind her.

"Gossiping, are we" came the voice of Snape.

"We weren't gossiping" argued Granger.

"Five points from Gryffindor for talking back, Granger. Now get back to work, both of you."

He moved on to harass the group at the table next to them.

"He makes me so mad" hissed Granger, once Snape was out of earshot.

"I know. Like there isn't enough problems in life without him going and making us all miserable."

She snorted.

"You've got that right..." Granger said"Hey, how come you and I have never spoken to each other before now? We seem to have a lot in common."

"Guess it's 'cause I'm in Slytherin and you're in Gryffindor..."

"Right..." she remembered"I always forget you're in Slytherin... That makes a world of difference doesn't it…but you really don't seem the type."

"Why is that"

"Well, for one Snape treats you as he would a Gryffindor and for another you're much too smart."

Blaise laughed softly.

"Thanks, I think."

"I really should introduce you to Ron sometime... You guy's would get along famously."

"I'd like that" Blaise replied. This Granger... _Hermione_... really wasn't that bad.

* * *

**Finally updates eh? This chap and chapter 4 have actually been done for ages... I've just been waiting for my lazy beta to get up off her ass and beta them. Hope it was worth the wait... Let me know what you thought of it.**


	4. The Rebels

**The Fine Line**

**And here's the other one... R R, please.**

* * *

The Rebels:

Blaise and Hermione left Potions together. They ignored all the looks they were getting from the other students of the school.

"...A Gryffindor and a Slytherin"

"...That's unheard of"

"...What does Granger think she's doing"

Blaise and Hermione reached the Great Hall, talking about finishing off their potion next week in Potions.

"Well, it takes until the full moon for the potion to mature. If someone were to drink it right now, they'd go insane" Hermione said.

"And here I thought you'd said you were losing your smarts. Doesn't sound to me like anything is wrong with you right now"

Hermione laughed.

"Oh look; there's Ron" she said, pointing at a thin, freckled boy with flaming red hair and a rather long nose. The boy was talking pleasantly with the two other boys opposite to him.

Hermione led Blaise to the Gryffindor table. As they walked, eyes followed them.

They reached the part of the table where Ron and the two other boys were talking. One of the two boys had been saying something, but interrupted himself as soon as he spotted Blaise.

"You're being followed by Slytherin scum, Hermione" the boy with the sandy hair said with a strong Irish accent.

Hermione frowned at him.

"Actually, Seamus, she's _with_ me. This is Blaise Zambini and she'll be eating dinner with us today" Hermione said.

"''Mione have you lost your marbles? She's a Slytherin! She can't sit here"

"I know perfectly well who she is, Ron. Honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself. If you could see past the fact that she's in Slytherin, you'd know that she's really quite a nice person" Hermione began"In fact, I brought her to introduce her to you, because I thought you two would get along well"

"And how is it that you and her are so close all of a sudden"

"She's my potions partner."

"_Why?_ Weren't there any Gryffindors left? How come you paired with_ her_"

"You do all realize that I am right here" Blaise finally joined in.

The black boy sitting next to the boy named Seamus laughed.

"Well, I like her" he declared"and she's not to hard on the eyes either" he added, winking at Blaise.

Blaise blushed and smiled at him.

"Name's Dean Thomas. Pleased to meet you, Blaise" he said, nodding at her.

"Pleased to meet you too" she said, still smiling.

"See? If Dean can get along with her so can you" Hermione said.

"We'll see..." Ron said sulkily.

Hermione took a seat next to Ron and Blaise sat next to her. A few nearby Gryffindors glared at Blaise before returning to what they were doing.

"So what's the potion you two are brewing" Seamus asked, obviously deciding to give Blaise a chance.

"Draught of Truth" Hermione answered"Blaise and I think Snape's probably going to use against us all."

Ron snorted.

"Wouldn't put it past the bastard" he said, looking at Blaise as he insulted her head-of-house.

_'He probably thinks I'm going to defend him.' _

"Aren't you going to defend him" Ron asked, suspiciously.

"Why the hell would I do that" Blaise answered"I hate that greasy old-git as much as -if not more than- any of you. To him I'm not a Slytherin" she said, filling the plate in front of her with food.

"Colorful vocabulary" Dean commented, smiling.

"Well, personally, I think you _shouldn't_ be in Slytherin. You're too good for them. I don't think the old hat was working properly when it sorted you" Hermione said, also taking food.

"I actually asked it to put me in Slytherin... My parents would have- well let's just say they'd have been upset if I had been sorted in any other house" Blaise started, beginning to eat her dinner. "Looking back now, I wish I hadn't asked it to though... I don't care what my parents think anymore; I shouldn't have asked to be put in Slytherin just to please them. The hat was actually going to put me in Ravenclaw it'd said."

"Your parents _wanted_ you to be in Slytherin? What would they have done to you if you'd told them you'd been sorted into...say Gryffindor" Dean asked.

"Probably beaten me and made me go to Durmstrang or something" she replied.

"Beaten you" Seamus asked incredulously.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't live with _them_ anymore" she said"I moved out last year."

"Who do you live with then" Ron asked, interested.

"Well, I work for this woman -Ms. Rastaban- and she feeds me, lets me live with her and gives me a small weekly salary."

"Hard life... What is it that you're planning on doing after Hogwarts" Dean asked.

"Well I want to become an Auror... I've got to keep my grades up so they pick me though."

"Auror, eh? Harry wanted to become an Auror" Ron said.

Hermione became silent.

"Oh. Sorry 'Mione..." Ron said, noticing that mentioning Harry had hurt Hermione. "Go on, cheer up. Harry wouldn't want us to be miserable thinking about him all the time... He'd want us to think about all the good times we've had."

"I guess... So how was Care of Magical Creatures class" Hermione asked, changing the subject.

"Painful," said a boy who'd just arrived behind Dean.

The boy's round face had many cuts on it and he had one black eye. He took a seat between Dean and Seamus and immediately began to fill his plate.

"Hagrid's found another "interestin''" creature for us to take care of: dugbogs," he said.

"You should go see Madam Pomfrey, mate. Those look painful," Ron commented.

"That one looks infected," Blaise added, pointing at a particularly large cut on his right cheek.

The boy looked up at Blaise and frowned.

"Blaise: Neville Longbottom. Neville: Blaise Zambini," Ron introduced.

"Aren't you in Slytherin" Neville asked, eyeing her Slytherin robes suspiciously.

"I am" Blaise answered, nodding.

Neville looked questioningly at his other four housemates.

"She's Hermione's new friend. They got paired together in potions. She wants us to get to know her" Ron explained.

"She's alright, don't worry" Seamus said.

"Well, pleased to meet you then" Neville said, returning to his dinner.

"Likewise" she said, doing the same.

They all continued to eat silently.

"Hey, I just got an idea... Why don't we ask Blaise if she wants to join D.A." Dean said all of a sudden.

"Great idea" Hermione said brightly.

Blaise frowned

"What's D.A."

"It's a sort of secret club we founded back in fifth year where we learn to defend ourselves against Voldemort and his Death Eaters. You know, seeing as we don't really learn that kind of stuff in class. Ron and I are in charge of it and anyone who wants to fight against Voldemort is welcome to join" Hermione explained.

"You're asking me to join your _secret_ club? We hardly just met! What makes you so sure you can trust me" Blaise asked, surprised.

"Because you seem like a decent person. If you weren't, you wouldn't still be here. So do you want to join" Hermione asked.

She considered it.

_'What better way to piss off my parents than to join the rebellers?'_

"Sure. I'm in. Give me the details" she answered.

* * *

**There you go. Pretty short. Next chapter soon. Oh and I almost forgot to mention Dazed and Utterly Confused. There you go, love.**


End file.
